


history is written by the rulers

by flowerthatbloomedinadversity (AzaWhite)



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Blood, F/M, Family Feels, Flashbacks, Hades is a Good Parent, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Implied/Referenced Torture, Isle of the Lost (Disney) is a Terrible Place, Minor Character Death, Murder Mystery, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pregnancy, Scars, Self-Indulgent, Sharing a Shower, United States of Auradon (Disney) Is Not Perfect, also shan yu should not be a parent, look i thirst for hades and i cannot lie, no beta we die, the isle was a terrible idea but beast really had no clue
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:47:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23600299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzaWhite/pseuds/flowerthatbloomedinadversity
Summary: When Auradon was rounding up all the villains, Shan-Yu managed to smuggle his ten-year-old daughter onto the Isle with him, subjecting the poor girl to unimaginable tortures. When the barrier fell, she went in search of revenge on her father..Except someone had already done most of the work for her..(aka a murder-mystery with lots of family feels)
Relationships: Hades & Mal (Disney), Hades (Disney)/Original Female Character(s), Mal (Disney) & Original Character(s)
Kudos: 17





	1. ένας

**Author's Note:**

> Look...I don't know how this happened, okay? I'm sorry.

Blood dripped from Yijun’s fingertips onto the floor, quiet little plinks echoed as the drops hit the tile. Her father laid at her feet, agony and even a touch of fear evident on his face. She wanted to finish filleting him like the useless lump of flesh he was, tear his ligaments out from between his bones and use them to strangle him, dig his unfeeling heart out of his chest with her own nails and calcify it to use as a paperweight.

She looked down at his face again. He grinned through the pain, sharp teeth white except where the blood had run between them. “You’re too much of a coward to finish it,” he hissed.

“I’ve done it before,” she said, keeping her tone even. “This time would be no different.”

He laughed, a brittle sound that pulled nightmares out of the dark recesses of her mind. “I won’t come back, this time,” he said. “You would be a murderer—for real.”

Yijun fought to keep her face impassive. “That never stopped you. Why should it stop me?”

“Because—” he coughed. “You won’t be able to go to Auradon with your lover.”

She grinned at this, baring her teeth in a too-wide smile. The scars on her cheeks stretched painfully. “Who says I want to go to Auradon?”

Her father’s cough turned violent. The hacking grew more intense until finally, it ceased. His chest stilled. She stepped very deliberately over his body, careful not to drench her outfit in more blood. Yijun walked out of her father’s chambers, smearing her bloody hands against the grimy stone walls. Whichever unlucky soul found his decaying body would have their pick of his stash of goods. She had no use for them.

Yijun left Shan-Yu’s house with her head high and feet headed for the docks. She needed to wash up before heading home.

* * *

She washed her hands and face in the saltwater from the cove and scrubbed the hems of her pants and jacket with a flimsy bar of soap. The water turned a murky reddish-brown as the blood ran from her skin and her clothing’s fabric into the cove. Once Yijun was certain most of the bloodstains were gone, she climbed out. Her wet hair stuck to the back of her neck as she walked slowly towards her home.

Her boyfriend was waiting for her. He stood, arms crossed, tapping his foot impatiently against the dirty street. “Why did I feel your father die?”

“Nice to see you too, Hades.” She attempted to brush past him. He put his arm out to stop her.

“Don’t dodge the question.”

Yijun rolled her eyes. “I didn’t kill him, if that’s what you’re asking. I didn’t even torture him—that much.”

Hades sighed. “I know.”

“Then why the accusing question?” Yijun raised an eyebrow.

“Because I’m worried, okay? I’m worried about you, Yijun.”

“What’s to worry about?”

Her boyfriend sighed, an uncharacteristic flash of genuine worry on his face. “The barrier’s down, babe, but it might not be down forever. They barely took it down. I don’t want you stuck here again.”

Yijun rolled her eyes. “If I got trapped here again, I’d at least want to deserve it—unlike the first time.”

Hades growled, a low thrum in the back of his throat. “So you’d damn our child to living in this prison?”

“Of course not—”

“Then don’t talk like that!” Hades’ hair began to smolder. “Don’t ever talk like you’re ready to damn another innocent to this shithole!”

Yijun sighed, fight draining out of her. “I’m sorry.”

“…I know.” Hades wound an arm around her shoulders. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry too.” He pulled her into the lair’s entrance. The heat from his fiery hair pulsed against her cold, wet clothing, drying it to a comfortable degree. “Hey, there’s some people I think you should meet.”

“Oh really?” Yijun frowned slightly. “I know everyone from the Isle so…Auradon citizens?”

“Something like that.”

They walked further into the lair, occasionally separating to navigate a particularly rocky bit. Hades gently pushed her forward when they reached the main room, and Yijun was suddenly facing a whole crowd of people. She scanned the room, noting that Mal and her crew were off to the side a little, accompanied by the King, King-Father, and Queen-Mother. Fairy Godmother and a host of official-looking doctors were front and center.

“Oh boy.” She rolled her eyes as she stepped forward, causing gasps as the Auradonian citizens caught their first glimpse of her scars. “Don’t worry,” she quipped, stepping onto the mock dias. “They’re for the aesthetic.”

One of the doctors frowned slightly. “I highly doubt that.”

“Well,” said Yijun, shrugging off her jacket and tossing it on the couch. “My father may not have become the Emperor of China, but he sure as fuck managed to be the emperor of bad parenting.”

“…Your father did that to you?” King Ben looked like he might be sick. “That’s horrible!”

“No duh.” Yijun very carefully met the eyes of the King-Father. “Almost as horrible as letting him slip a ten-year-old onto the Isle with him.”

The King-Father winced. “We had no idea—”

“Eh, whatever,” she said, flopping onto the sofa and kicking her feet up over the armrest. “I may hate the bastard, but what’s done is done. He won’t be bothering anyone anymore.”

Queen-Mother Belle frowned slightly. “He’s dead?”

“Yup. Saw it myself. Ask Hades—he’ll confirm.”

Mal finally met Yijun’s eyes. “How’d he die?”

Yijun grinned sharply, again stretching the scars on her face too much. “I’d guess internal bleeding. He was coughing up blood when he died.”

Fairy Godmother tsked in disapproval. “And why, exactly, was he coughing up blood?”

“Well, I suppose a couple strong punches in the right places causes internal bleeding. Might’ve been aided with some stab wounds—he was bleeding out too.”

“You killed him?” King Ben looked upset—though for what reason, Yijun couldn’t tell.

“I wish.” Yijun snorted. “I’d like to thank whoever did the main business though. I just hurried him along.”

Hades smirked. “Good luck with finding them. Shan-Yu’s got a lot of enemies.” He pushed one of the doctors closer. “In the meantime, you need to get checked out.”

“Really? This is what you brought me here for?”

“I’m worried, okay?” Hades glanced sideways at the royal family and company. “In your condition…”

“Oh, just say it. I’m pregnant.”

Mal gasped. “Really?”

“Yeah,” answered Hades. “And with what her father did to her…”

“Shut up, Hades.” Yijun growled in frustration. “And you, doc, stop looking so nervous and examine me already.”

The doctor swallowed and asked her to sit up properly. He poked and prodded and shined a light at her eyes. After a while, he blushed and asked about her medical history.

She shrugged. “Couldn’t tell you. The Isle’s not huge on keeping you healthy.”

“Ah.” The doctor appeared to struggle for words. “Um…and injuries…?”

So that’s what he meant. “Oh, you mean the scars?”

He nodded uncomfortably. “How old are they? Is this all of them? And uh, how exactly were they acquired?”

“Oh, this ain’t all of them,” she said, lazily leaning back, suddenly self-conscious of the way his eyes bugged. “Did you really think Shan-Yu would be satisfied with a few scars on my face and arms?”

Hades groaned. “Just answer the man.”

“Fine,” she hissed. “But the prissy royals have to go.”

King Ben took the hint. “Mom, Dad, Fairy Godmother—why don’t we head out and look for any other stragglers?” He gently pushed them out of the room.

Jay and Carlos followed immediately. Evie spared a glance at Mal, who was still standing in shock.

“Go on, E,” said Mal. “I’m staying.”

Yijun rolled her eyes but didn’t protest. “Whatever.” She started unzipping her boots, and the doctors formed a semi-loose wall around her. Probably trying to make her feel like she had privacy. When she’d undressed down to her underthings, she stood and cleared her throat.

The doctors turned around and just barely managed to keep their composure. Yijun frowned and tapped her foot impatiently. “Get on with it.”

One of them pulled out a chart and started sketching out her scars. She answered his questions on each with varying levels of annoyance. Hades occasionally had something to add—usually a detail she’d forgotten (omitted on purpose, more like, and she’d shoot him a dirty look). Yijun did her best to ignore the doctors’ growing looks of horror. Mal at least was silent, face blank.

Finally, the questions about her injuries stopped, and Yijun moved to get dressed. As she pulled on her shirt, a doctor that had previously been fairly silent cleared her throat. “Um, how far along are you?”

Yijun paused, shirt still exposing her ratty bra. “How far along am I?”

“In your pregnancy,” the doctor explained slowly. “How long have you known?”

“Oh. Um. Maybe two and a half months? Three?” She looked at Hades for guidance. He held up three fingers. “Three.”

The doctor blinked. “Is this your first pregnancy?”

“Yeah.” Yijun tugged her shirt down the rest of the way.

“Hmm.” The doctor blinked again and made some notes on a pad of paper.

“Why, is something wrong?” Fear gripped Yijun in an entirely unfamiliar way.

“Oh, no,” said the doctor, looking up and smiling softly. “It’s just unusual for first-time mothers to be showing so early.”

“…Oh.”

“What have you been eating? Your diet is really important now that you’re eating for two.”

Yijun fought a scowl. “What do you think? Auradon sends their garbage barges once a month.”

Hades stepped forward and put a hand on her arm, silently telling her to back off. “Babe, now’s not the time.”

She rolled her eyes and looked at the shocked doctor. “Any other stupid questions?”

The doctor shook her head. “Not right now. I do want to see you when you come to Auradon, give you a full checkup.”

“Who said I was going to Auradon?”

Hades growled again. “Yijun…”

“Fine!” Yijun pulled her hair up into a sloppy bun. “Fine, I’m coming, I’m coming.”

Mal spoke for the first time, unusually quiet. “Can I help you pack?’

Yijun shrugged. “Sure, if you want.” She started up the stairs, Mal following close behind.

Once she reached the top floor, Yijun rooted through her rickety dresser for an extra set of clothes. Mal stood awkwardly, swinging her arms and trying very hard to ignore the large bed. “Can I grab anything for you?”

Yijun paused. “There should be a backpack over in the corner—leather, blue lettering. Once you grab that there’s some small little trinkets on the nightstand…I could use your help sorting through them.”

“Sure.” Mal walked off, and Yijun briefly debated between two pairs of scruffy leather pants before settling on the slightly less ragged pair. She also grabbed a fur vest—one of the few things her father had gifted her with good intentions. A pale blue top made its way into the pile, along with a set of nicer underthings.

Mal brought the backpack over and helped her stuff the clothing inside. “Hey Yijun…”

“Yeah?” Yijun glanced at her boyfriend’s daughter, surprised that she was biting her lip.

“…Congratulations on the baby.”

Yijun slowed in her movements. “Thanks.” She debated for a second before continuing. “He loves you very much.”

Mal froze. “Who?”

“Don’t play dumb,” said Yijun. “Your father, who else? He’s always talking about you, you know. I think Celia Facilier would’ve caught on if I hadn’t told him to quit it around other people. They were starting to wonder.”

“…Oh.” Mal was blushing, Yijun noted with pleasure. “I…I didn’t realize.”

“You’re very lucky,” Yijun turned toward the nightstand and idly straightened the trinkets. “He hated leaving you.”

“Then why leave at all? So he could hook up with you?” There was no mistaking the bitterness in Mal’s voice.

Yijun sighed. “He was a god made human, Mal. Your mother…well, she was merely stripped of her powers.”

“So?”

“So who do you think had the power in that relationship? The Mistress of Evil sans magic or a freshly-human god reeling from the shock of stripped godhood and power?” She turned around to face Mal again. “And I’ll have you know, we started hanging out together when I was nineteen. A full two years after he left Maleficent.”

Mal blushed again and ducked her head. “I…I didn’t know.”

Yijun shrugged. “No worries. I know our relationship isn’t secret, but the details sure are.” She turned toward the nightstand again. “Now, help me choose what to bring.”

They debated on that for a few minutes, eventually settling on the gifts from Hades and ditching the rest of the mementos. Once the items were carefully wrapped in rags and tucked in the backpack, they went downstairs, where Hades was waiting impatiently.

“Ready?”

Yijun smiled as he ruffled Mal’s hair. “Yeah, I think I’m good. Anything you wanna grab?”

“Nah,” he said, reaching out to snag her around her waist. “I’ve got my girls.”


	2. δυο

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yijun gets her first glimpse of Auradon. Not all sights are welcome, however.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be a two-shot, I said. Two chapters and done, I told myself.  
> I lied.

They met up with the rest of the group outside the lair, King Ben and company looking decidedly like they had _not_ been searching the Isle for stragglers. Yijun raised a brow as she slung her backpack over her shoulder. “Find anybody?”

Carlos jumped. “Uh—no—didn’t—didn’t find anybody.”

She snorted. “Figures. C’mon, let’s go.”

Yijun thought privately that it was a good thing there was nobody else on the Isle. They must’ve made a pretty weird-looking group: half a dozen doctors, Fairy Godmother, the entire royal family, four former Isle kids, a god, and her.

Which, quite frankly, seemed quite over the top for dragging her off the Isle. Yijun cleared her throat. “So, why did all…what, fifteen? Fifteen people have to come knocking at my door?”

Hades chuckled. “Well, I wanted the doctors and Mal.” He jerked a thumb at Jay, Carlos, and Evie. “And those three go wherever Mal goes.”

Queen-Mother Belle smiled softly. It was almost…nice. “And once we heard Hades had a girlfriend, we just had to tag along. After all, we’re going to be family.”

“Ah. Right. The engagement. Congrats on that, by the way.”

King Ben grinned and thanked her. It was endearing to see someone smiling so wide, like they had never known hardship. Yijun absently put a hand to her stomach. She wondered if her child would have that smile.

Once they reached the bridge, the group split up into waiting vehicles. The doctors and Fairy Godmother piled into one limo and with an annoyingly cheerful “Bippity-boppity bye!” they were off.

“Is she always that…perky?”

King Ben smiled a little nervously. “I think that was her being subdued.”

Yijun groaned. “I’m going to hate Auradon, aren’t I?”

“Babe…” Hades grabbed at her hand, but Yijun pulled it out of his reach as she turned to face the Isle again.

“It’s funny…I hated being stuck on this fucking hunk of rock—always dreaming about going back to the steppes…but y’know…I’m going to miss it. Stupid, right?” She scoffed at her sentimentality. “It’s home, for whatever shitty reason.”

“…I get that,” said Mal, clearly reluctant to speak. “I mean, I’d never known another home before, but…it sticks with you.”

Carlos nodded. “I sure don’t miss the scraping and fear, but…there’s something to be said about where you grow up.”

Yijun let their words wash over her as she looked back at the Isle. Hmm. She shook her head to dispel the sudden wave of emotion. “Let’s go.”

She brushed past the royal family and stalked toward the remaining two limos. Jay hopped into the driver’s seat of one of them. Carlos and Evie shared a glance and followed the King-Father and Queen-Mother into the other.

“Looks like it’s us four with Jay,” said Mal. “C’mon, we should get back soon. I don’t even want to know what kind of chaos is going to be waiting for us.” She slid into the limousine, the rest of them following suit.

King Ben chuckled nervously. “Neither do I.”

“…Why is there going to be chaos? Or at least, unexpected chaos? Surely you didn’t bring down the barrier and expect a smooth transition.”

To Yijun’s surprise, Hades was the one to answer, a sheepish tone coloring his voice. “I may or may not have put up a big stink about going back to get you. And mentioned your father. And…”

“And _what_ , Hades?”

He rubbed his neck. “And let it slip that you were put on the Isle when you were ten.”

Yijun slammed her head back on the headrest and closed her eyes. “If you weren’t the love of my life and the father of my child, I would gut you and use your entrails as a scarf.”

“…That’s kinda hot though.”

“Hades!” Yijun’s shout was lost in the chorus of mild-to-moderate gagging noises from the rest of the limo’s occupants.

Her boyfriend threw his hands up in surrender. “Jeez, okay. Note to self: don’t ever tell anyone what I think’s sexy.”

“Oh, you idiot. Just not in front of other people— _especially your daughter_!”

Mal nodded vigorously, face paler than normal. “Really could’ve lived my life without knowing that.”

Hades had the good grace to blush a little. “Sorry, kiddo.”

“And on that disturbing note,” called Jay from the front. “Welcome to Auradon, Yijun.”

Yijun glanced out the window. The section of the castle that faced the bridge was a nicer, cleaner, prim and proper version of the main plaza on the Isle. A dark shadow passed briefly over the ground next to the limo but was quickly gone. She blinked. Maybe she was hallucinating.

“So,” she said, trying for casual. “Where exactly are we going?”

King Ben cleared his throat. “I made arrangements for a room in the castle to be ready for you. You can take a shower, get dressed. Then there’ll be a press conference, most likely. You might have to give a few interviews in the next few weeks, but it should die down soon enough. The rest…I guess we’ll figure that out as we go.”

Yijun worried at her lip. “…Can I go to school?”

The king blinked. “You haven’t been?”

Hades gripped Yijun’s hand as she took a breath. “My…my father kept me pretty isolated on the Isle. I mean, I know how to read English, a little, and I’m not terrible at writing my name in hanzi…but I’d really like to be able to read and write my child’s name.”

“Oh.” King Ben leaned forward and hesitantly patted her knee. “I’ll personally see to it that you get that education, then. I can’t promise regular school—most classrooms aren’t designed for adult students—but I’ll get tutors for every subject you desire if needed.”

Yijun looked up into his eyes. He held her gaze, hazel eyes never straying from her own. It was a novel sensation. Most people shied away from her golden irises; only Hades and her father had been able to look right at them for more than a few seconds…until now. “Okay.”

He smiled again and leaned back. Mal put her head on his shoulder, closed her eyes, and let a soft smile tug at her lips. King Ben hummed contentedly and closed his eyes too.

Hades absently squeezed her hand, and Yijun peered up at him. He was staring at Mal, a soft look on his usually stern face.

She squeezed his hand back. He glanced down and smirked reassuringly, but Yijun thought she saw a glimpse of—not fear, but…cautiousness. Hesitancy.

“You okay, àiren?”

Hades nodded slightly, the flames in his hair flickering. “I’m fine, babe. Don’t worry about me.”

Yijun wanted to protest, but then again, they weren’t alone. She settled for shooting him a stern look.

A muffled thud made Mal jerk her head up from King Ben’s shoulder. “What’s up, Jay?”

“Sorry,” he called, cranking the wheel. “The transition to the back entrance of the castle needs to be repaved, Ben.”

The king rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “I’ll put it on the list.”

Jay pulled the limousine around a final curve and parked. A small swarm of gold-and-blue dressed guards descended on the car, opening the doors and extending gloved hands. Yijun swallowed hard and blinked slowly.

“Yijun?” Hades’ voice sounded distant. “Yijun, stay with me.” A hand brushed against her arm and she struggled to wrestle it off.

“Babe—"

One of the guards moved his hand to his sheath, and suddenly Yijun was ten years old, being manhandled out of a prison van. She flailed and screamed, extended her jaw so far it ached. “Get off me! Get off! Fucking get the fuck off me!”

Suddenly someone’s arms were around her, pinning her arms to her sides. She wriggled her body, but the arms stayed firm. Her breath came in pants, a ragged sound that keened over her thudding heart. She could barely hear anything else beyond her heartbeat, just the barest whispers of peoples’ voices.

“—can you do—anything—help—?”

“…not going to spell...!”

“…hear me, Yijun, c’mon give me something here, babe, you’re in Auradon, you’re safe, babe, just—just give me something—nod if you can hear me…Hades…”

Hades.

The fog lifted from Yijun’s brain. Her vision refocused. She blinked hard and nodded sharply. Hades’ arms loosened their grip.

She slumped to her knees, buried her face in her hands, tried to ignore the tears dripping down her cheeks. “…Hades,” she croaked. “I was…again…”

“…I know.” He walked around and crouched in front of her. “I know.”

She chanced a glimpse of his face. He wore an uncharacteristically worried frown, hair reduced to embers. “Did I hurt anyone?”

He cracked a grin. “Punched one of the guards in the eye, another got a kick to the ribs. Nothing rest and some ice won’t fix.”

“And you? Did I hurt you?”

Hades shrugged. “Slapped my hand real hard, but it barely stings. Look. It ain’t even that red.”

Yijun examined the proffered hand, relieved he was telling the truth. “I’m so sorry, Hades.” She swallowed and looked up past his shoulder at the contingent of guards. “I’m so, so sorry I hurt you.”

The two injured guards nodded in acknowledgement, if not acceptance, of her apology. She glanced down to Hades’ hand again. “How long?”

He furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”

“How long till they send me back?”

King Ben cleared his throat, shock evident in his voice. “I’m not going to send you back, Yijun.”

She dared to turn her head towards him. “I just assaulted your soldiers.”

“You had a traumatic flashback,” he said, tone gently correcting. “In your mind, you were acting in self-defense. I see no reason to press charges.”

Mal extended a hand. “I give you my word, Yijun. He won’t send you back. And neither will anybody else.”

Yijun hesitated but took her hand. Hades helped her steady herself. She glanced around. At least there hadn’t been too many witnesses to her breakdown. The other limo had arrived before theirs and King Ben’s parents had long-since entered the castle. She wasn’t worried about Carlos and Evie seeing her breakdown as they waited outside the entrance—she’d seen enough Isle kids have a collapse like that to know they wouldn’t judge.

“…Okay.” She grabbed her backpack from where it’d fallen during her flashback. “Let’s do this.”

King Ben nodded at a servant and the door swung open, exposing a well-lit hallway. Yijun followed the teenagers in, Hades right next to her. Her boyfriend kept one hand on the small of her back, grounding her even in unfamiliar territory. Yijun tried to keep track of all the staircases and turns, but there were so many she ended up losing count.

The group finally stopped in front of a pale white door that looked exactly like all the others in the hall. King Ben clasped his hands together before opening the door. “I hope you like the room.”

Yijun stepped cautiously inside—from what she’d seen of the castle, she wasn’t confident that Auradon’s tastes aligned even slightly with her own. To her surprise, the room wasn’t half bad—pale shades of blue covered the walls and a plush blue rug covered most of the wooden floor. The fabric-covered furniture was also blue, but darker, and the wooden dresser matched the flooring.

“Not bad,” she admitted, taking a few more steps inside. “I was afraid I’d have to withstand more pink than any human ever should.”

Mal smirked and nudged her fiancé. “I told you she’d like it, Ben.”

The king grinned sheepishly. “You were right.”

Yijun ignored their flirting and ran a hand over the duvet laid carefully across the bed. She resisted the urge to moan. It was so soft and fluffy—she’d never felt anything like it. Instead, she unbuckled her boots and flopped backwards onto the bed.

“I’m never getting out of this bed,” she said, shooting an appreciative look at the king. “This is the softest thing I’ve ever experienced.”

Hades flopped face-first next to her. “Eh, not bad.”

The teenagers gawked. Yijun had to admit, they must’ve made a sight—two full-grown adults fresh off the Isle, splayed across a bed in Auradon’s castle.

King Ben politely cleared his throat. “Well, why don’t we meet up in, say, an hour and a half? You can have someone show you to the conference hall. We can discuss our next move then.”

Yijun waved a hand dismissively before resting it on her stomach. “Hour and a half. Gotcha. Bye.”

Once the kids left, Hades propped himself up on his side and waggled his eyebrows. “Never getting out of this bed, huh?”

“Well…” she trailed off, rolling onto her side to face him. “They did say we had an hour and a half...I bet we could get done in half that—especially if we shower together.”

Hades grinned sharply. “Damn, babe. I like the way you think.”


	3. τρία

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hades and Yijun get comfortable. Also, the plot thickens.

After a scandalously luxurious quickie, Yijun and Hades dragged themselves off the bed. Yijun smirked as she saw the rumpled duvet, covered partially with leather clothing that spilled onto the floor. There was no mistaking what had occurred, and she took great delight in imagining a maid discovering their mess and whispering about it with the other servants. Hades was hers.

“Just as you are mine.” Hades loosely wrapped his arms around her, resting his hands on her tiny baby bump and nuzzling her shoulder.

“Did I say that out loud?”

“Mmhmm.” He rubbed her shoulder with his chin, his stubble scraping pleasantly against her skin. “Very hot.”

Yijun rolled her eyes. “You’re incorrigible, àiren.” She wriggled out from his grasp. “C’mon, let’s take a shower and get dressed.”

“Fine,” he grumbled, making his way to the in-suite bathroom. “But I go under duress.”

She shrugged. “Guess I won’t join you then.”

That got his attention. She smirked as he froze and turned around. “Oh, that’s a mean tease, babe.”

“Try me.”

He growled lowly. “I will drag you by the hair to the shower.”

Yijun let her smirk grow wider. “Oh, no need—but if you wanted to shower with me that bad, you could’ve just asked.”

Hades crossed the room in a few large steps and swept her into a loose bridal carry. She laughed despite herself and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Okay, okay, I’m coming!”

“I’m not taking any chances,” he said, carrying her to the bathroom. “You’re a slippery woman.” He gently set her down on her feet in the spacious shower and fiddled with the water temperature. She noticed with amusement that he kept between her and the shower door.

Finally, a cascade of pleasantly hot water hit her shoulders—the pressure slightly stung her scars, but the overall sensation was nice. Yijun stared for a self-indulgent moment as Hades lathered soap onto a washcloth and started rubbing himself clean. She blinked and copied his movements. Once all the Isle’s dirt was scrubbed off her body, she peered at an array of brightly colored bottles on a shelf.

“Hair product,” supplied Hades, reaching past her to grab a black bottle. “You’ll probably want to use the red one.”

She resisted the urge to stick out her tongue and pumped some product out of the red bottle into her palm. “…Hades?”

“Yeah?”

“…How are you, seriously? None of that shit you were spewing in the limo. Honestly, tell me how you’re doing.”

Hades grunted and rinsed his hair free of product. “Are you going to use the shampoo or not?”

Yijun tilted her head, trying to tamp down her temper. “Answer the damn question.”

He rolled his eyes and scooped the shampoo out of her hand and started carding it through her hair. “I just reunited with my adult daughter for the first time in a dozen years. Meanwhile, my girlfriend’s pregnant with my second child and I’m facing all the mistakes I made the first time around. How do you think I’m doing?”

She shrugged. “I don’t have any idea, Hades. I…I know I’m fucking terrified.”

It was the first time she’d admitted it out loud. Hades’ gaze softened. “I know, babe.” He pulled her closer to him and guided her head to rest on his chest. They stayed like that for a while, letting the water pound on their backs.

By the time they turned off the water, Yijun’s skin was starting to wrinkle. The provided towels were soft enough they could’ve been blankets. She dried herself off and padded to the mirror. It was larger than any she’d ever encountered on the Isle, not to mention clean and uncracked. Under the bright lights, her scars looked worse than she’d ever seen them. They twisted and slashed across her face and shoulders, pale but striking against her naturally tan skin.

Yijun looked away.

Hades stood next to her and tossed her a bottle of hair gel. “Help me do my hair?”

“…Sure.” She expertly teased his hair to stand on end. It was comforting, falling back into their usual routine. Which, she realized, was exactly what Hades was trying to do. She pressed a kiss to the back of his neck when she finished.

“We, uh, we should go get dressed,” he said, voice suspiciously rough. “We’re running short on time.”

“Yeah.” Yijun reluctantly stepped back. She wrapped her towel around herself and walked back to the bedroom. Her backpack had landed near the dresser, so she took a moment to unwrap and place her mementos on top. When she pulled open a drawer to store her fur vest, she paused. The drawer was already mostly full. Simple shirts and dark jeans were folded neatly side-by-side.

She yanked open another drawer, which was full of similar clothing, but clearly designed with men in mind. Yijun’s mind whirled. Someone had gone to the effort of making sure there was clean clothing waiting for them.

Which meant they were supposed to wear the new clothes. Yijun pulled a pair of jeans out at random and held them up to her waist. They were a little big, but she figured that was probably for the best, considering her bump. She shimmied into them, glad they buttoned without looking baggy or tight. Yijun ignored the tops and put on the spare she’d brought. If she had to wear new things, she was also wearing something familiar. After she managed to twist her hair into a somewhat neat bun, Yijun opened the other drawer and pulled out clothing for Hades.

Her boyfriend came up behind her and peered at the proffered clothing in her arms. “What in the world—do you seriously expect me to wear that—are you kidding me?”

Yijun shoved the clothes into his arms anyway. “You can’t wear your old Isle clothes to what may end up being a press conference. Appearances are everything. And if I’m stuck in Auradon, I’m at least going to try to blend in.”

Hades grumbled but got dressed, leaving the top few buttons of the black shirt undone to expose the blue t-shirt underneath. “There, happy?”

“Yeah, I am.” She pulled on her boots and double-checked that her knives were still hidden in the straps. Satisfied that she was armed, Yijun opened the door and peered down the hallway. A servant walking down the hall squeaked as she noticed Yijun’s stare.

“C-can I help you?”

Yijun glanced back into the room. Hades had pulled on his boots, so she turned back to the maid. “We’re supposed to meet the king in the conference hall. Show us? Please?” She tacked on the last word a little belatedly.

The maid nodded, but a little fear was evident on her face. “Yes, ma’am. Follow me.”

Hades closed the door behind them as they followed the maid through the maze-like castle. At least on the Isle things looked different, at least Yijun knew her turf. Here though…every hallway looked identical to the last. Finally, the maid stopped in front of a door on the first floor. “Here you are,” she said, bobbing in a curtsey and disappearing around a corner.

Yijun shared a sideways look with her boyfriend. “Guess we just…go in?”

He shrugged. “Whatever.”

She twisted the handle and stepped in the conference hall to find a well-lit room with a long table in the center. The royal family and Mal’s crew waited at the end of the table, apparently in intense discussion. Yijun froze.

Hades cleared his throat. “You just gonna stand there?”

Mal turned at the sound of his voice. “Hey, Dad!”

There was no mistaking the pure joy in her voice, so Yijun pushed Hades towards her. He awkwardly held his arms out, and Mal hurried around the table to rush into them. Yijun couldn’t help but let a soft smile on her face, even as King Ben gulped.

Yijun looked away, suddenly sentimental. “What’s next? You said something about maybe holding a press conference.”

King Ben cleared his throat. “Uh—yeah. We’ve released a statement saying we successfully recovered you from the Isle and not much else. We, uh, we didn’t want to make any false statements regarding your feelings.”

“Good.” Yijun pulled out a chair and plopped down directly across from the King-Father. “Because I have _feelings_.”

The King-Father met her gaze with a wince. “I can only plead ignorance as a defense. If we—if _I_ had known Shan-Yu had smuggled a _child_ onto the Isle—there would’ve been hell to pay.”

“See, I want to believe you, Beast,” and boy did Yijun relish the way he flinched, “And I kinda do, so you’ve got that going for you. But—I find it awfully suspicious that not only did he manage to grab me and smuggle me under his coat, but your guards manhandled me out of that prison van and you still claim ignorance.”

“I can hardly be expected to know what every guard does—”

“Were there no reports? Are you telling me that Auradon’s king didn’t require reports about the largest villain round-up in history?”

“Of course there were reports!”

“So you didn’t read them?”

“I read them! Damnit, I read every single report on the Isle! There were no mentions of children—there were never supposed to be children—!” The King-Father buried his face in his hands, pushing his glasses up past his nose.

Yijun considered. She wanted to press, wanted to ask him what the fuck he thought would happen when he put villains and criminals all together and withheld birth control, but she held her tongue. He seemed genuinely remorseful, and there was no point in pushing her luck.

“…I tell you what. I will make some statements to the effect of ‘no hard feelings, all’s good’ to the news. In exchange, you will quietly round up every soldier even remotely involved in my father’s arrest and displacement. I will question them—you can join in or send someone in your stead—and we will get to the bottom of this.”

Queen-Mother Belle put a hand on her husband’s shoulder. “That will take some time, but I think we can manage that.”

Her husband nodded behind his hands before dropping them. He adjusted his glasses and held out a hand. “I’ll draw up a contract.”

Yijun took his hand and shook. “Deal.”

King Ben clapped his hands together. “Now that that’s all settled, why don’t we discuss the next few days? We’ve got a lot to consider, arrangements to make, all that good stuff.”

Mal nodded. “We’ve already reserved some appointments at the hospital for prenatal care. And you’re more than welcome to stay at the castle while you get on your feet.”

“And I’m more than happy to help you get a functional wardrobe,” said Evie. “I’ve always wanted to design maternity clothing.”

The lights flickered just then, and Yijun jumped. “What the—?”

Hades frowned. “Not me.”

As the rest of the room looked up at the lights, a flurry of dark movement in the corner of her eye had Yijun slowly reaching for a knife. She smoothly slid one out of her boot and hurled—

And ended up pinning a knife in the wall.

“What on earth was that?” Carlos squeaked. “Why did you throw a knife at the wall?”

She shrugged, ignoring the eyes on her back as she walked to the wall. “Thought I saw something move.” Yijun yanked the knife out. “Sorry about—wait.”

“What?” Jay came around to stand next to her, muscles flexing in what was probably supposed to be an intimidating manner. “I don’t like knives flying around here for no reason.”

Yijun crouched to the floor and picked up a long, black feather. “Impossible…there aren’t any windows…”

“Maybe someone tracked it in?” Jay shrugged nonchalantly but didn’t sound convinced of his own suggestion. “Weirder things have happened.”

“…Maybe.” Yijun stood and returned to her seat, still holding onto the feather.

Hades leaned over and took a look. “Hmm. Looks like a normal feather but…it smells like magic.”

Yijun raised a brow. “You can tell by smelling it?”

He shrugged. “Don’t ask. It also smells like gunpowder, shadows, and anger.”

“Lovely.”

Mal leaned forward so Yijun could see her. “I can try to spell it? Figure out where it came from?”

“Sure.” Yijun placed the feather in Mal’s outstretched palm.

“Ouch!” Mal shook it off her hand. “That’s burning hot!”

Yijun picked the feather up. “It isn’t though?”

Hades touched it tentatively. “No, that’s definitely burning hot.”

“Well, it isn’t burning me, so…”

Mal frowned thoughtfully. “It must be enchanted.”

“Who would enchant a feather for me?” asked Yijun, more to herself than anyone in the room. “And why?”

“I don’t know babe,” said Hades, “But you might want to let go—it’s starting to smolder.”

Yijun let go with a startled yelp. The feather continued to burn, black flames consuming the edges and sending curling wisps of smoke up into the air. Wait…those weren’t abstract curls—they were hanzi. Unfortunately, she was not very well-read in hanzi, and she struggled to translate.

“…coming for you next…father…Jian-Yu…mother…!”

The smoke disappeared. Yijun blinked and tried to ignore her rising panic. “Well. I haven’t heard that name in a while.”


	4. τέσσερα

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More questions are raised. Yijun and Hades get a little hot-headed.

The room’s occupants looked at her with varying degrees of confusion evident on their faces. Nobody seemed particularly eager to ask Yijun what she meant, for which she was grateful. She took a couple deep breaths and managed to push down her fight or flight instincts.

Finally, Mal broke the silence. “Who is Jian-Yu?”

“…Me. Since I wasn’t left with a name, people in my tribe used to call me that before…well, before.” Yijun let out a shaky breath. “My father never used it, so I chose a name when I turned sixteen.”

Mal frowned. “He never used your name?”

Yijun laughed bitterly. “I don’t think he bothered to learn it. To be fair,” she added at the looks of horror she got, “I don’t know his name either.”

King Ben frowned. “Shan-Yu?”

She snorted. “That’s just a title for war-chief.”

“So,” said Hades. “Is anybody going to mention that this mysterious person not only knows your former name, but also is coming for you? Presumably after killing your father?”

Yijun waved a hand dismissively. “I can take them.”

“They have magic, though,” said Mal hesitantly. “From what I remember, Shan-Yu didn’t have any mystical powers.”

“I’m more concerned that this person mentioned my mother.” Yijun frowned. “I never met the woman. But from what I gathered as a child, she willingly slept with my father. Which is not exactly a good sign.”

“…Do I want to know why?” Queen-Mother Belle gripped her husband’s hand.

Yijun considered spitting out an angry retort but settled on something resembling a vague truth. “My father was a psychopath. Anyone who chose to sleep with him…that’s not someone I have much desire to meet.”

The Queen-Mother furrowed her brow. “I don’t…”

“He enjoyed pain and power. No, you don’t want to know.”

Hades squeezed her hand. “Still, you should be careful.”

She raised a brow. “Are you doubting my ability to take care of myself?”

“Never. But you don’t have any magic, and this person does. That’s concerning.”

“No. People can’t use magic to revive themselves from the dead. And whoever this is will have a knife in their heart before I know them long.”

“Murder isn’t the answer!” King Ben took a deep breath. “Murder is never the answer.”

Yijun crossed her arms, flexing her muscles and showing off her scars. “Don’t give me that bullshit. What you mean to say is ‘murder is never the answer, unless it happens to be pointed at a villain,’ right?”

King Ben flushed. “That—I—”

“Let’s not forget, one of your greatest heroes has a body count _in the thousands_. Fa Mulan was given every honor for destroying my father’s entire army, and yet when I suggest one heart being stabbed in self-defense, you’re all up in arms.” She stood. “I’m out of here.”

“Wait—”

She shook off Hades’ hand. “Stay here. Clearly whoever sent the message is after me. There’s no need to get you and Mal’s family mixed up in that.”

“So you’re going to leave? Just like that?” Hades’ hair blazed. “Do you really care that little?”

Yijun resisted a flinch. “I’m leaving because I care! There’s no need to endanger anyone else!”

“Just our child!”

This time she did flinch. “Hades—"

“No. You listen to me: I am not letting you face this alone. I have failed too many people already—I’m not adding you to that list.”

“Since when do you make decisions for me?”

“Since you lost your damn mind, apparently! You’re pregnant! You can’t seriously be planning on taking on a mysterious magic being on your own!”

“I can and I will.”

Blue flames raced down to cover Hades’ shoulders. “Don’t test me. I would sooner lock you in the Underworld before I lost you.”

“Don’t. Fucking. Dare.” Yijun hissed, rage coursing through her veins. “If you did that, you would lose me anyway. I will do what is necessary to protect my family—and if that means leaving you and Mal, I’ll do it.”

Someone gasped, but Yijun was already halfway out of the hall. She stormed back to their room with the help of a frankly terrified maid. The door flung open with a vehemence under her hands. A servant had already cleaned the room a bit, folding the clothes at the foot of the neatly made bed. Yijun blinked past the tears and found her backpack by the dresser and shoved her meager possessions in. She ignored the mementos on the dresser; they’d be there when she returned—she hoped.

“Going somewhere?”

Yijun froze.

Mal continued, boots thudding against the floor as she walked in. “I didn’t think of you as a coward.”

“I’m hardly a coward.”

“Why else would you run from the people who love and want to protect you?”

Yijun stood and turned to face the teen. Hades was silently leaning against the doorframe. “To protect them. Maybe you don’t understand—maybe you can’t forgive that—but this is the best option.”

“That’s abandonment, not protection.” Mal looked away and bit her lip. “Trust me.”

Realization struck Yijun as Hades flinched, and she put her hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Hey. Look at me.”

Mal slowly turned to meet Yijun’s eyes. “Yeah?”

“I know this reminds you of your dad leaving, but this time there’s an active threat. I don’t trust this person to not use you all against me. If it looks like I’ve abandoned you, like I ditched everyone the second I got to Auradon…”

“…Then they might not come after us.” Mal frowned. “I still don’t like it. We’re willing to take that risk.”

Yijun raised a brow. “Are you willing to see your fiancé or friends hurt—perhaps terribly? My father was not killed peacefully. He died in agony.”

“I won’t let that happen.” Hades stalked in, traces of anger still on his face. “I may not particularly care for Auradon or its citizens, but I won’t let the people Mal cares about get hurt if I can prevent it.”

“Hades…”

“I’m still angry with you,” he said. “But I understand.”

“…Thank you.” Yijun dropped her backpack. “Both of you.”

“I’ll, uh, I’ll leave you two alone for tonight. We can delay the press conference to tomorrow. And I’ll have a servant bring up a tray—you must be starving.” Mal turned around and frowned when she reached the door. “You’ll be here in the morning, right?”

Yijun smiled. “I promise. No sneaking out of the castle in the middle of the night.”

Mal waved awkwardly. “Um, goodnight then.”

“…Night, Mali,” said Hades. He swung his arms awkwardly. It was kind of cute, seeing her normally unflappable boyfriend flustered, but Yijun nudged him towards Mal. He threw her a panicked look but wrapped his daughter in a hug anyway. Yijun watched for a moment before looking away.

Mal left, throwing only a casual glance back into the room as she departed.

Hades sighed and slumped into a chair. “Jeez. You sure know how to make a scene, babe.”

Yijun scoffed. “And you don’t?”

“Fair point.” He splayed his legs and rubbed his head with a hand. “Still.”

“Still.” She paced toward the bed. “I meant what I said. About not endangering you and Mal.”

“And I meant what I said about stopping you from doing something stupid.”

Yijun gripped the footboard. “You wouldn’t.”

“I would.” His admission was quiet. “I don’t want to lose you, Yijun—or our child. We’ll face this together.”

She exhaled and turned slowly, deliberately, bracing herself on the footboard as she looked at her boyfriend. “You can’t possibly mean that.”

His eyes bore into hers, stony blue meeting pale gold. Hades stood, gaze never faltering as he stalked to stand right in front of her. When he spoke, his voice was low and husky. “Do you think that whatever sent that message is a match for a god?”

Yijun swallowed and looked away. “No, I just…”

“Just what?”

Still not looking at him, Yijun blinked rapidly. “I…I just…I need to fight my own battles, Hades.”

“For some reason, I don’t think that’s what you were going to say.” Hades commented lightly. “I’ve known you long enough to know when you’re lying.”

“So? Does it really matter?” Yijun crossed her arms. “What does it really change? I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.”

Hades growled lowly. “Don’t change the subject. Tell me the truth.”

Yijun let out a sigh. “Fine, okay! I just don’t want you making a decision you regret.” At her boyfriend’s confused look, she elaborated. “Backing me up on this. You have another chance with Mal, Hades. You shouldn’t just…throw it out.”

At that moment, a gentle knock sounded at the door. Yijun brushed past Hades to open the door. A serving cart stood in the hallway, and Yijun swore she could see a skirt swish around a corner. She wheeled the cart inside the suite, deliberately ignoring Hades’ glower.

“Well?” Yijun carefully lifted the dishes’ coverings, mouth watering at the smell. “Are you going to eat, or do I get it all?”

Hades growled again, this time a little softer. “Of course I’m eating.”

“Good.” Yijun carefully divvied the food, making sure they each got healthy portions of meat. She drizzled a generous amount of the juice over the beef, then added a heaping pile of white rice to each plate.

Once she finished, Yijun carried the plates to the small sitting table. Hades was already seated, having set the table with the remaining dishes of fruit.

Yijun wanted desperately to sink her teeth in the meat but started with a forkful of rice. Hades had no such reservations, digging in with a kind of cautious abandon. Everyone from the Isle knew to eat quickly so as to not lose their meal, but not so quickly that their stomach would reject the food. Yijun smiled thinly at the clean taste of steaming hot rice. It reminded her of her childhood on the steppes.

Hades looked up briefly. “Try the beef, babe,” he said, mouth half full of food. “You know you want to.”

She cautiously stabbed a small bite, unsure of how her system would handle the fat-rich meat. She brought it to her lips and moaned. It was undoubtedly the best thing she’d eaten in twenty years, if not her whole life.

“ _Fuck_ ,” she said. “I might not need sex anymore, that’s so good.”

Hades frowned. “I shouldn’t have told you to try it,” he muttered.

Yijun let out a chuckle. “Don’t worry, àiren.” She took another bite. “I still think you’re pretty delicious.”

Hades smirked, though the effect was somewhat ruined by his slightly pink cheeks. “Good to know. The feeling is mutual, y’know.”

Yijun looked down and shoveled more rice into her mouth, pleased that they were back to teasing each other. They finished their meal in silence, argument forgotten while they ate—an unspoken truce.

They stacked the plates back on the serving cart and Yijun wheeled it back outside the suite. Hades groaned contentedly and lounged across the bed. “Nothing to ambrosia, of course, but after two decades of canned goods and scraps…that was fit for the gods.”

“I’ll have to take your word on the ambrosia thing,” said Yijun. She sank into an armchair. “But I don’t think I’ve ever been this full.”

Hades raised an eyebrow. “Not even before?”

Yijun shrugged. “Life on the steppes was difficult. Not like the Isle, but not a whole lot of fatty meat or well-tended crops.” She swallowed, throat tight. “We need to talk, still.”

He hummed. “C’mere.”

She slowly moved to perch on the edge of the bed. Hades grunted and pulled her down so she was facing his chest. He absently ran a hand along her arm.

“…I want to go back to the steppes,” she said.

Hades’ hand stilled. Yijun waited with bated breath for him to respond.

“…Why?”

Yijun shrugged as best she could. “I need to find out what happened to my tribe. Maybe someone has answers about whoever is coming for me.”

“So you’re determined to confront them?” Hades’ voice sounded suspiciously rough, so Yijun pulled back to look him in the eye.

“Hades. I need answers, and I won’t cower behind anybody. You know that I won’t.”

He sighed. “I know. I know, babe. But…what you said earlier, about me regretting my decision…”

Yijun winced. “It wasn’t the best way to say it, but I mean it. I don’t want you regretting any decision you make about our future. You have to factor in Mal, now.”

Hades closed his eyes. “I know.”

She wanted to push it, but sensed it would do no good, so Yijun closed her eyes too, pressing her cheek to Hades’ chest. The gentle ‘tha-thump’ of his heartbeat calmed her rattled nerves and soon she was fast asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Please leave kudos and/or a comment if you enjoyed!


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